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What to eat in Bihar? Top 8 Bihari Foods

Last update: Sun Apr 20 2025
Top 8 Bihari Foods
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Best Bihari Foods

01

Beef Dish

BIHAR, India and  one more country
4.0
Bihari kebab
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Bihari kebab is a traditional Indian-Pakistani dish that's unique for its marinade, infused with mustard oil, dahi, poppy seeds, nutmeg, garam masala, and papaya paste. The dish is prepared with thinly sliced fillets, usually beef. It's marinated for a long time, then placed on wooden skewers and cooked on a grill.


Once done, the chunks of meat are usually served on paratha or naan with chutneys, onions, and chili.

02

Sweet Pastry

BIHAR, India and  2 more regions
3.7
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Khaja is a traditional dessert consisting of flour, sugar, and ghee-based dough that is deep-fried in oil until golden and crispy. After the preparation, khaja is sometimes soaked in sugar syrup, depending on the regional variation of the recipe.


This tasty dessert is one of the key dishes at numerous North Indian wedding feasts. There are many regional varieties of khaja, so khajas from Silao and Rajgir are characterized by their puffiness, while khajas of the coastal part of Andhra Pradesh are dry on the exterior and filled with sugar syrup on the inside.


All of the varieties should have a wafery texture and melt in the mouth. 
03

Stew

WEST CHAMPARAN, India
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Champaran meat is a famous mutton stew from West Champaran, a district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is prepared in a special clay pot known as handi, which is why this dish is sometimes called handi meat. Mutton (although chicken can also be used) is first marinated in mustard oil, ginger paste, ghee, garlic, onions, and various Indian spices.


Then, everything is placed into a handi, sealed with kneaded flour, and cooked over a low flame or charcoal. The seal is never broken; instead, the handi is shaken repeatedly, ensuring optimal cooking and fusing of flavors. The whole process can last a couple of hours and depends on the quality of the mutton, but the end product must be tender and succulent meat. 
04

Deep-fried Dessert

BIHAR, India and  one more region
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Thekua is a flavorful, crispy Nepalese dessert consisting of whole wheat flour, jaggery, and grated coconut. The dough is traditionally deep-fried in ghee until it develops a reddish-brown color. This unique treat is especially popular during the Chhath Puja festival, when it is prepared as an offering to God.


Apart from Nepal, thekua is very popular in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and some claim that the true origin of thekua is actually in Bihar.

05

Potato Dish

BIHAR, India and  one more region
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Aloo chokha is a traditional dish originating from Bihar and Jharkhand. The dish is usually made with a combination of potatoes, garlic, mustard oil, onions, coriander, lemon juice, hot peppers, salt, and black pepper. The potatoes are boiled, mashed, and left to cool.


The onions are mixed with garlic, hot peppers, mustard oil, coriander, and lemon juice. Next, the mixture is seasoned with salt and pepper and stirred into the mashed potatoes. Aloo chokha is typically enjoyed with chapati, roti, or rice on the side.

06

Snack

BIHAR, India
4.1
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This Indian specialty hails from Bihar, but it is also enjoyed in Jharkhand. One part of the dish consists of litti—small balls prepared with whole wheat flour and filled with a combination of spices and sattu (a flour-like ingredient made with roasted chickpeas).


The balls are baked or fried, and before serving, they are traditionally dipped in ghee. The dish is completed with chokha – a mix of roasted vegetables that usually contains eggplants, tomatoes, onions, and various spices.

07

Snack

BIHAR, India and  one more region
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Dhuska is a traditional dish from the Indian states of Jharkhand and Bihar. It is a popular snack or breakfast item made from a batter of rice and chana dal (bengal grams). The batter is seasoned with spices and then deep-fried to make crispy, golden-brown pancakes or fritters.


The fritters puff up slightly when fried, giving them a light and airy texture. Dhuska is often served with a side of aloo chana (potato and chickpea curry) or with ghugni, a spicy yellow pea curry. It can also be enjoyed with pickles or chutney.

08

Stew

AURANGABAD, India
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Naan qalia is a traditional, royal, and historic Indian dish originating from Aurangabad, dating back to the era of Emperor Aurangzeb. It consists of naan flatbread and qalia, often a mixture of mutton, oil, onions, ginger, garlic, hot peppers, coconut, yogurt, coriander, and garam masala, although there are many variations.


The qalia is traditionally made in a large cauldron called degh. Both the naan and the qalia are served on the same plate, and the dish can be served for breakfast or lunch. This filling dish is nowadays a staple at weddings in the area.

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Bihari Food